The End of the Matter
The Churches of Revelation
Part 4
Luke 11:9-10:
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
This is part four of my article entitled “The Churches of Revelation”. This article is part of a larger series entitled “The End of the Matter”. The objective of these articles is to answer two questions which the disciples asked Yahoshua {Jesus}?
Matthew 24:3:
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”
They are actually asking him three questions, but we’re only going to deal with that two that are highlighted. What will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age? We will be going through the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, and the book of Revelations, to learn what the Holy Scriptures has to say about these questions.
In our last article we finished the messages that Yahoshua gave to His churches that He called by name. In which I mean, each church was called by name and then given its’ particular message. This detail will be important as we continue this article.
There were five basic parts to each message, with Yahoshua identifying Himself in the beginning of each one. They are listed as follows:
1. The specific Church to whom the message is for.
2. The specific message to that Church.
3. The works the church does that Yahoshua loves.
4. The works the church does that Yahoshua hates.
5. The rewards for overcoming their sins.
We have gone through the first three chapters of Revelations with chapters two and three mentioning each church by name. It is because the churches are not mentioned by name after these chapters, that many believe the messages to the churches are over and that the rest of Revelations is a sequence of events that lead up to the very end. This is where the confusion begins. Simply because the churches are not mentioned by name does not mean that there are no more messages to them, and it is this mystery that must be uncovered before Revelations can be understood. All of Revelations is a message to the churches, and it is the same story told over and over again. As you read this article please bear this in mind.
Beginning in Revelations chapter four we find the description of the heavenly throneroom. John the writer of this book says he was taken there by the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 4:2:
“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”
Dropping down to verse five we see something interesting.
Revelation 4:5:
“And from the throne proceeded lightings, thundering, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
There were seven lamps burning before the One who sat on the throne. The bible says those seven lamps are the seven spirits of God. Where have we seen the seven lamps before?
Revelation 1:20:
“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamp-stands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands which you saw are the seven churches.”
The verse in 1:20 says the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches and Revelation 4:5 says the lamp-stands are seven spirits, but they are one in the same. The seven lamp-stands represent the seven churches of God. In order to be of God we must have His Holy Spirit; if we do not have His Spirit we are not His.
Luke 11:13:
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
The bible interprets its own symbols. When seven lamp-stands are mentioned in the bible they are always talking about the seven churches, and the churches have His Holy Spirit. Beginning with verse seven, John begins to describe the throne room and four living creatures. It is their job along with the 24 Elders to worship the Creator.
Revelation 4:11:
“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
What is the purpose of this chapter? It seems it is placed there so we know that there are angels worshipping God, or is it more than this? In every letter Yahoshua gave to the churches He made sure they knew who was giving them a message. He never said this is Yahoshua your High Priest, He describes who He is by saying where He is and by telling us the things He is doing. As an example let us look at the letter to the church of Ephesus. He begins by saying:
Revelation 2:1:
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp-stands…”
Yahoshua is letting us know who is giving them this message by describing what He is doing;
“He who holds the seven stars in His right hand,”
And by telling us where He is;
“ ..in the midst of the seven golden lamp-stands.”
He is holding the seven stars is in his right hand which are the angels of the churches and he is walking among the lamp-stands which are the seven churches. It is the same thing being done in chapter four. This chapter is to let the church know who was about to give them the rest of the message by describing where the Message Giver is and what the Message Giver is doing.
We now begin with chapter five verse one.
Revelation 5:1:
“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”
Revelation 5:1 {King James Version (KJV)}
“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.”
I have quoted the same scripture from two different versions of the bible. The First from the new King James Bible and the second is from the King James Bible. I have done this to show how confusing scripture can be. The word “scroll” in the new King James and the word “book” in the King James come from the word“biblion”. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines this word below as:
biblion: a paper, book
Original Word: βιβλίον, ου, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: biblion
Phonetic Spelling: (bib-lee'-on)
Short Definition: a papyrus roll
a written document; a sheet on which something has been written, a roll -- bill, book, scroll, writing.
A scroll (from the Old French escroe or escroue), is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing.
There’s a big difference between a scroll and a book. Most translations use the word scroll. I have given the definition of the word scroll above and a link where you might obtain more information. A scroll is simply a way of writing a message. This particular scroll is sealed with seven seals which means there are seven parts to the scroll. But alas according to the scripture there is no one worthy to open the seals. It must be noted that the seals are in “the right hand” of the One sitting on the throne.
Revelation 5:1:
“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.”
Revelation 5:3-4:
“And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.”
Revelation 5:5:
“But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
This is the same Being who sits at the right hand of the One who sits on the throne.
Mark 16:19:
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
So we find that Yahoshua is the One worthy to open the scrolls and to loosen its seals; for He is the one who sits at the right hand of His Father, and it is His Father who occupies the throne.
Revelation 5:9:
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…”
The rest of chapter five is simply the description of the One who is worthy and the creatures who worship Him.
Chapter four and five is the Father letting the churches knows who is worthy to open the seals and give them the rest of the message. The scroll is in seven parts and there are seven churches. Just because the churches are not mentioned by name does not mean that the scrolls are not for them.
I ended the last article by showing that the Creator always gives His people a choice. He gave it to the physical children of Israel and He gives it to His spiritual children, the church. It is a choice of life or death blessing or cursing; there is no in between.
Deuteronomy 30:15-16:
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
In each letter He has asked His church to overcome, and if they did overcome their reward would be eternal life. He also told each church what was going to happen to them while they were the prevailing church on this earth. Meaning they were the ones’ at the time with the truth and revelations of God. What would happen to the church if they did not overcome, and how would the events that Yahoshua described take place? This is the mystery of the scrolls. Each seal is for a specific church. The messages of the scrolls are in Revelations chapter six. The first seal is the rest of the message for the church of Ephesus, the second seal is the rest of the message for the church in Smyrna, the third seal is for the church in Pergamos, the fourth seal is for the church in Thyatira, the fifth seal is for the church in Sardis, the sixth seal for the church in Philadelphia, and the seventh seal is for the church of in Laodicea.
The seals describe the events which will take place on the earth and to the church, during the time of that church.
Revelation 6:1-2:
“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
The church of Ephesus will be tormented by someone sitting on a white horse who had been given a crown. In other words a kingdom will be set up on earth and the ruler of this kingdom will go throughout the earth conquering other peoples and nations. The next seal describes a red horse that goes out to kill and take peace from the earth.
Revelation 6:3-4:
“When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.”
These events take place during the time of Smyrna. There will be all out war on the earth; there will be no peace just as the Messiah had prophesied earlier in the message.
Revelation 2:8-11:
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.
The next seal is for the church in Pergamos.
Revelation 6:5-6:
“When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.’”
During the time of Pergamos there will be famine.
Revelation 6:7-8:
“When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”
There is much violence during the time of the church of Thyatira, but not just for the church but for the entire earth. These first four seals are commonly called “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Contrary to popular belief they are not signs for the return of Yahoshua. They are describing the events that take place upon the earth during the time of the first four churches. When we compare the message of these four seals to each church it is obvious that this synagogue of Satan, this kingdom that was set up upon the earth, has corrupted the church with a false doctrine and persecuted it with violence.
Revelation 2:6:
“But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”
Revelation 2:14:
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”
This kingdom has deceived the world into thinking that the gentiles are the true children of Israel.
Revelation 2:9:
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and Iknow the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
And it has gone throughout the earth to conquer, and to kill,
Revelation 2:13:
“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
It is because of this kingdom of Satan and its actions that famine and death will come to a fourth part of the world. The fifth seal speaks of the events which will take place during the time of Sardis.
Revelation 6:9-11:
“When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both thenumberof their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
This seal speaks of spiritual events which will take place. There were still be tribulation on earth for the church, but it is a message of hope and a plea to simply be patient. The time will be soon for those who died to be avenged.
The next seal is the rest of the message which is for the church of Philadelphia. Before we get to the rest of the message we must remember the beginning of the message to this church. This was the only church that did nothing Yahoshua hated. It was also this church, unlike the other churches, which will be kept from the hour of trial, and He tells them that He is coming.
Revelation 3:7-11:
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write ….Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly!”
Let us now look at the rest of the message which is written to the church of Philadelphia.
Revelation 6:12-17:
“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
As we can see there is a lot going on here, beginning with cosmic disturbances. The entire population of the earth will be afraid because they do not want to see or to know the wrath of the One who sits on the throne, who is the Father, or to see or know the wrath of the Lamb, who is the son Yahoshua. This is the beginning of the return of Yahoshua. It is during the time the church of Philadelphia is on this earth that Yahoshua will return. The message which is written on the scroll is simply letting the church know the events which will happen during their time. I will say one more time. It is during the time of the church of Philadelphia that Yahoshua shall return!!!
It is with this proclamation that chapter six of the book of Revelations ends. It would be logical to assume that the next chapter would be the rest of the message to the church of Laodicea which is the seventh church, but we should never assume anything when it comes to the word of God, because the next chapter is not the rest of the message to the church of Laodicea, but a continuing of the message to the church of Philadelphia.
Revelation 7:1-3:
“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’ ”
There seems to be a pause in the action. Nothing is to happen until “we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads”. Who are the ones being sealed, and why?
Revelation 7:4:
“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:”
So we see that it is the children of Israel, 144,000 to be exact, who are to be sealed before the earth is harmed anymore. Remember this part of the message to the church of Philadelphia:
Revelation 3:10:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
It is just before the return of Yahoshua that the church of Philadelphia shall be spared from the tribulation that is coming to the people of the earth. The church of Philadelphia is an all Israelite church. We know this because they are the only ones who were promised safety. There will be 12,000 people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, who will make up this church. We can also know this because of the other promise that was made to the church of Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:19:
“Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
Why would He have those who are claiming to be Jews, or to put it another way, those who are claiming to be the children of Israel, worship at the churches feet unless the church were the true Israelites.
Revelation 7:9-12:
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’ ”
So who is this great multitude they are speaking of?
Revelation 7:14:
“And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ “
Compare this with the scroll message to the church Sardis.
Revelation 6:9-11:
“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both thenumberof their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were,was completed.”
It seems we answered a part of the original question.
Matthew 24:3:
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming….?’”
Prior to the return of the Messiah, during the time of the church of Philadelphia, the lies shall be exposed. The true doctrine of Yahoshua shall be taught and the lie of those who claim to be Jews and are not shall be exposed. Understand this, for this is one of the signs for the return of the Messiah. Those who are calling themselves Jews are not Jews, they are gentiles, and God’s true church will be made up of Israelites. This is the word, this is the truth, and this is a sign.
Well my friends it is that time again when I must bid you a fond farewell. As we continue on this wonderful journey I pray that the Father opens up your eyes so that you may see the truth through the fog of deception, and open your ears so that you may hear the truth to the confusion and Babel of lies.
Ephesians 5:15-18:
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”
Until next time my friends please take care.
Peace